“Titanic” Exclusive Screenplay (Part Eight)

181 THE CORRIDOR
outside is deserted. Flooded a couple of inches deep.Jack's voice comes faintly through the door, but there is no one to hearit.

CUT TO:

182 INT. FIRST CLASS CORRIDOR
Thomas Andrews is opening stateroom doors, checking that people are out.

ANDREWS

Anyone in here?
Rose runs up to him, breathless.

ROSE

Mr. Andrews, thank God! Where would the Master at Arms take someone underarrest?!

ANDREWS

What? You have to get to a boat right away!

ROSE

No! I'll do this with or without your help, sir. But without will takelonger.

ANDREWS

(beat)

Take the elevator to the very bottom, go left, down the crewman's passage,then make a right.

ROSE

Bottom, left, right. I have it.

ANDREWS

Hurry, Rose.

CUT TO:

183 INT. FOYER / ELEVATORS
Rose runs up as the last Elecator Operator is closing up his lift to leave.

OPERATOR

Sorry, miss, lifts are closed--
Without thinking she grabs him and shoves him back into the lift.

ROSE

I'm through with being polite, goddamnit!! I may never be polite the restof my life! Now take me down!!
The operator fumbles to close the gate and start the lift.

CUT TO:

184 EXT. OCEAN / BOAT 6
Molly and the two seamen are rowing, and they've made it a hundret feet orso. Enough to see that the ship is angled down into the water, with the bowrail less than ten feet above the surface.

MOLLY

Come on girls, join in, it'll keep ya warm. Let's go Ruth. Grab an oar! Ruth just stares at the spectacle of the great liner, its rows of lightsblazing, slanting down into the sullen black mirror of the Atlanic.

CUT TO:

185 INT. FIRST CLASS ELEVATOR / CORRIDORS
Through the wrought iron door of the elevator car Rose can see the decksgoing past. The lift slows. Suddenly ICE WATER is swirling around her legs.
She SCREAMS in surprise. So does the operator.
The car has landed in a foot of freezing water, shocking the hell out ofher. She claws the door open and splashes out, hiking up her floor-lengthskirt so she can move. The lift goes back up, behind her, as she looksaround.

ROSE

Left, crew passage.
She spots it and slogs down the flooded corridor. The place isunderstandably deserted. She is on her own.

ROSE

Right, right... right.
She turns into a cross-corridor, splashing down the hall. A row of doors oneach side.

ROSE

Jack? Jaaacckk??

CUT TO:

186 INT. MASTER AT ARMS OFFICE / CORRIDOR
Jack is hopelessly pulling on the pipe again, straining until he turns red.
He collapses back on the bench. realizing he's screwed. Then he hears herthrough the door.

JACK

ROSE!! In here!
187 IN THE HALL Rose hears his voice behind her. She spins and runs back,locating the right door, then pushes it open, creating a small wave. She splashes over Jack and puts her arms around him.

ROSE

Jack, Jack, Jack... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
They are so happy to see each other it's embarrassing.

JACK

That guy Lovejoy put it in my pocket.

ROSE

I know, I know.

JACK

See if you can find a key for these. Try those drawers. It's a little brassone.
She kisses his face and hugs him again, then starts to go through the desk.

JACK

So... how did you find out I didn't do it?

ROSE

I didn't.

(she looks at him)

I just realized I already knew.
They share a look, then she goes back to ransacking the room, searchingdrawers and cupboards. Jack sees movement out the porthole and looks out.
A LIFEBOAT hits the surface of the water, seen from below.

CUT TO:

188 EXT. TITANIC / BOAT ONE
While the seamen detach the falls, Boat One rocks next to the hull. Lucileand Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon sit with ten others in a boat made for four timesthat many.

LUCILE

I despise small boats. I just know I'm going to be seasick. I always getseasick in small boats. Good Heavens, there's a man down there. In a lit porthole beneath the surface she sees Jack looking up at her... aface in a bubble of light under the water.

CUT TO:

189 INT. MASTER AT ARMS OFFICE
Rose stops trashing the room, and stands there, breathing hard.

ROSE

There's no key in here.
They look around at the water, now almost two feet deep. Jack has pulledhis feet up onto the bench.

JACK

You have to go for help.

ROSE

(nodding)

I'll be right back.

JACK

I'll wait here.
She runs out, looking back at him once from the doorway, then splashesaway. Jack looks down at the swirling water.

CUT TO:

190 INT. STAIRWELL AND CORRIDORS
Rose splashes down the hall to a stairwell going up to the next deck. Sheclimbs the stairs, her long skirt leaving a trail like a giant snail. Theweight of it is really slowing her down. She rips at the buttons andshimmies quickly out of the thing. She bounds up the stairs in herstockings and knee-length slip, to find herself in--
191 A LONG CORRIDOR
part of the labyrinth of steerage hallways forward. She is alone here. A long groan of stressing metal echoes along the hall asthe ship continues to settle. She runs down the hall, unimpeded now.

ROSE

Hello? Somebody?!
She turns a corner and runs along another corridor in a daze. The hallslopes down into water which, shimmers, reflecting the light. The margin ofthe water creeps toward her. A YOUNG MAN appears, running through thewater, sending up geysers of spray. He pelts past her without slowing, hiseyes crazed...

ROSE

Help me! We need help!
He doesn't look back. It is like a bad dream. The hull gongs withterrifying sounds.
The lights flicker and go out, leaving utter darkness. A beat. Then theycome back on. She finds herself hyperventilating. That one moment ofblackness was the most terrifying of her life.
A STEWARD runs around the nearest corner, his arms full of lifebelts. He isupset to see someone still in his section. He grabs her forcefully by thearm, pulling her with him like a wayward child.

STEWARD

Come on, then, let's get you topside, miss, that's right.

ROSE

Wait. Wait! I need your help! There's--

STEWARD

No need for panic, miss. Come along!

ROSE

No, let me go! You're going the wrong way!
He's not listening. And he won't let her go.
She SHOUTS in his ear, and when he turns, she punches him squarely in thenose. Shocked, he lets her go and staggers back.

STEWARD

To Hell with you!

ROSE

See you there, buster!
The steward runs off, holding his bloody nose. She spits after him. Justthe way Jack taugh: her.
She turns around, SEES: a glass case with a fire-axe in it. She breaks theglass with a battered suitcase which is lying discarded nearby, and seizesthe axe, running back the way she came.
192 AT THE STAIRWELL she looks down and gasps. The water has flooded thebottom five steps. She goes down and has to crouch to look along thecorridor to the room where Jack is trapped.
Rose plunges into the water, which is up to her waist... and powersforward, holding the axe above her head in two hands. She grimaces at thepain from the literally freezing water.

CUT TO:

193 INT. MASTER AT ARMS OFFICE
Jack has climbed up on the bench, and is hugging the waterpipe. Rose wadesin, holding the axe above her head.

ROSE

Will this work?

JACK

We'll find out.
They are both terrified, but trying to keep panic at bay. He positions thechain connecting the two cuffs, stretching it taut across the steel pipe.The chain is of course very short, and his exposed wrists are on eitherside of it.

JACK

Try a couple practice swings.
Rose hefts the axe and thunks it into a wooden cabinet.

JACK

Now try to hit the same mark again.
She swings hard and the blade thunks in four inches from the mark.

JACK

Okay, that's enough practice.
He winces, bracing himself as she raises the axe. She has to hit a targetabout an inch wide with all the foce she can muster, with his hands oneither side.

JACK

(sounding calm)

You can do it, Rose. Hit it as hard as you can, I trust you.
Jack closes his eyes. So does she.
The axe comes down. K-WHANG! Rose gingerly opens her eyes looks... Jack isgrinning with two separate cuffs.
Rose drops the axe, all the strength going out of her.

JACK

Nice work, there, Paul Bunyan.
He climbs down into the water next to her. He can't breathe for a second.

JACK

Shit! Excuse my French. Ow ow ow, that is cold! Come on, let's go. They wade out into the hall. Rose starts toward the stiars going up, butJack stops her. There is only about a foot of the stairwell openingvisible.

JACK

Too deep. We gotta find another way out.

CUT TO:

194 EXT. BOAT 6 AND TITANIC
TIGHT ON THE LETTERS TITANIC painted two feet high on the bow of the doomedsteamer. Once 50 feet above the waterline, they now quietly slip below thesurface. We see them, gold on black, rippling and dimming to a pale greenas they go deeper.
195 IN BOAT SIX, Ruth looks back at the Titanic, transfixed by the sight ofthe dying liner. The bowsprit is now barely above the waterline. Another ofBoxhall's rockets EXPLODES overhead. K-BOOM! It lights up the whole area,and we see half a dozen boats in the water, spreading out from the ship.
MOLLY
Now there's somethin' you don't see every day.

CUT TO:

196 INT. SCOTLAND ROAD / E-DECK
The widest passageway in the ship, it is used by crew and steerage alike,and runs almost the length of the ship. Right now steerage passengers movealong it like refugees, heading aft. CRASH! A wooden doorframe splinters and the door bursts open under theforce of Jack's shoulder. Jack and Rose stumble through, into the corridor.A STEWARD, who was nearby herding people along, marches over.

STEWARD

Here you! You'll have to pay for that, you know. That's White Star Lineproperty--

JACK AND ROSE

(turning together)

Shutup!
Jack leads her past the dumbfounded steward. They join the steeragestragglers going aft. In places the corridor is almost completely blockedby large families carrying all their luggage. AN IRISH WOMAN gives Rose a blanket, more for modesty than because she isblue-lipped and shivering.

IRISHWOMAN

Here, lass, cover yerself.
Jack rubs her arms and tries to warm her up as they walk along. The woman'shusband offers them a flask of whiskey.

IRISHMAN

This'll take the chill off.
Rose takes a mighty belt and hands it to Jack. He grins and follows suit.Jack tries a number of DOORS and IRON GATES along the way, finding them alllocked.

CUT TO:

197 EXT. BOAT DECK
ON THE BOAT DECK, the action has moved to the aft group of boats, numbers9, 11, 13 and 15 on the starboard side, and 10, 12, 14 and 16 on the portside. The pace of work is more frantic. You see crew and officers runningnow to work the davits, their previous complacency gone. CAL pushes through the crowd, scanning for Rose. Around him is chaos andconfusion. A woman is calling for a child who has become seperated from thecrowd. A man is shouting over people's heads. A woman takes hold of SecondOfficer Lightoller's arm as he is about to launch Boat 10.

WOMAN

Will you hold the boat a moment? I have to run back to my room forsomething--
Lightoller grabs her and shoves her bodily into the boat. Thomas Andrewsrushes up to him just then.

ANDREWS

Why are the boats being launched half full?!
Lightoller steps past him, helping a seaman clear a snarled fall.

LIGHTOLLER

Not now, Mr. Andrews.

ANDREWS

(pointing down at the water)

There, look... twenty or so in a boat built for sixty five. And I saw one boat with only twelve. Twelve!

LIGHTOLLER

Well... we were not sure of the weight--

ANDREWS

Rubbish! They were tested in Belfast with the weight of 70 men. Now fillthese boats, Mr. Lightoller. For God's sake, man!
The shot HANDS OFF to Cal, who sees Lovejoy hurrying toward him through theaisle connecting the port and starboard sides of the boat deck.

LOVEJOY

She's not on the starboard side either.

CAL

We're running out of time. And this strutting martinet...

(indicating Lightoller)

...isn't letting any men in at all.

LOVEJOY

The one on the other side is letting men in.

CAL

Then that's our play. But we're still going to need some insurance.

(he starts off forward)

Come on.
Cal charges off, heading forward, followed by Lovejoy. The SHOT HANDS OFFto a finely dressed elderly couple, IDA and ISADOR STRAUSS.

ISADOR

Please, Ida, get into the boat.

IDA

No. We've been together for forty years, and where

(MORE)

IDA (CONT'D)

you go, I go. Don't argue with me, Isador, you know it does no good. He looks at her with sadness and great love. They embrace gently.

LIGHTOLLER

Lower away!!

CUT TO:

198 EXT. BRIDGE / FORWARD WELL DECK / FOC'SLE
AT THE BOW... the place where Jack and Rose first kissed... the bow railinggoes under water water. Water swirls around the captsans and windlasses onthe foc'sle deck. Smith strides to the bridge rail and looks down at the well deck. Water isshipped over the sides and the well deck is awash. Two men run across thedeck, their feet sending up spray. Behind Smith, Boxhall fires anotherrocket. WHOOSH!

CUT TO:

201 INT. E-DECK CORRIDORS AND STAIRWELL
Fabrizio, standing with Helga Dahl and her family, hears Jack's voice. JACK Fabrizio! Fabri! Fabrizio turns and sees Jack and Rose pushing through the crowd. He andJack hug like brothers.

FABRIZIO

The boats are all going.

JACK

We gotta get up there or we're gonna be gargling saltwater. Where's Tommy?
Fabrizio points over the heads of the solidly packed crowd to thestairwell.
Tommy has his hands on the bars of the steel gate which blocks the head ofthe stairwell. The crew open the gate a foot or so and a few women aresqueezing through.

STEWARD #2

Women only. No men. No men!!
But some terrified men, not understanding English, try to rush through thegap, forcing the gate open. The crewmen and stewards push them back,shoving and punching them.

STEWARD #2

Get back! Get back you lot!

(to the crewmen)

Lock it!!
They struggle to get the gate closed again, while Steward #2 brandishes asmall revolver. Another holds a fire axe. They lock the gate, and a crygoes up among the crowd, who surge forward, pounding against the steel andshouting in several languages.

TOMMY

For the love of God, man, there are children down here! Let us up, so wecan have a chance! But the crewmen are scared now. They have let the situation get out ofhand, and now they have a mob. Tommy gives up and pushes his way backthrough the crowd, going down the stairs. He rejoins Jack, Rose andFabrizio.

TOMMY

It's hopeless that way.

JACK

Well, whatever we're goin' to do, we better do it fast.

Fabrizio turns to Helga, praying he can make himself understood.

FABRIZIO

(with a lot of hand gestures)

Everyone... all of you... come with me now. We go to the boats. We go tothe boats. Capito? Come now! They can't understand what he's saying. They can see his urgency, but OLUFDAHL, the patriarch of the family, shakes his head. He will not panic, andwill not let his family go with this boy. Fabrizio turns to Helga.

FABRIZIO

Helga... per favore... please... come with me, I am lucky. Is my destiny togo to America.
She kisses him, then steps back to be with her family. Jack lays a hand onhis shoulder, his eyes saying "Let's go".

FABRIZIO

I will never forget you.
He turns to Jack, who leads the way out of the crowd. Looking back Fabriziosees her face disappear into the crowd.
CUT TO:
204 INT. CAL AND ROSE'S SUITE
CLUNK! Cal opens his safe and reaches inside. As Lovejoy watches, he pullsout two stacks of bills, still banded by bank wrappers. Then he takes out"Heart of the Ocean", putting it in the pocket of his overcoat, and locksthe safe.

CAL

(holding up stacks of bills)

I make my own luck.

LOVEJOY

(putting the .45 in his waistband)

So do I.
Cal grins, putting the money in his pocket as they go out.

CUT TO:

205 INT. STEERAGE, AFT
Jack, Rose, Fabrizio and Tommy are lost, searching for a way out. They pushpast confused passengers... past a mother changing her baby's diaper on topof an upturned steamer trunk... past a woman arguing heatedly with a man inSerbo-Croatian, a wailing child next to them... past a man kneeling toconsole a woman who is just sitting on the floor, sobbing... and pastanother man with an English/Arabic dictionary, trying to figure out whatthe signs mean, while his wife and children wait patiently.
Jack et al come upon a narrow stairwell and they go up two decks beforethey are stopped by a small group pressed up against a steel gate. Thesteerage men are yelling at a scared STEWARD.

STEWARD

Go to the main stairwell, with everyone else. It'll all get sorted outthere.
Jack takes one look at this scene and finally just loses it.

JACK

God damn it to Hell son of a bitch!!
He grabs one end of a bench bolted to the floor on the landing. He startspulling on it, and Tommy and Fabrizio pitch in until the bolts shear and itbreaks free. Rose figures out what they are doing and clears a path up thestairs between the waiting people.

ROSE

Move aside! Quickly, move aside!
Jack and Tommy run up the steps with the bench and RAM IT INTO THE GATEwith all their strength. It rips loose from its track and falls outward,narrowly mssing the steward. Led by Jack, the crowd surges though. Rosesteps up to the cowering steward and says in her most imperious tone:

ROSE

If you have any intention of keeping your pathetic job

(MORE)

ROSE (CONT'D)

with the White Star Line, I suggest you escort these good people to theboat deck... now.
Class wins out. He nods dumbly motions form them to follow.

CUT TO:

206 EXT. BOAT 6 / TITANIC – NIGHT
Ruth rows with Molly Brown, two other women and the incompetent sailors.
She rests on her oars, exhausted, and looks back at the ship.
It slants down into the water, still ablaze with light. Nothing is abovewater forward of the bridge except for the foremast. Another rocket goesoff, lighting up the entire area... there are a dozen boats moving outwardfrom the ship.
207 AT THE BOAT DECK RAIL Captain Smith is shouting to Boat 6 through alarge metal megaphone.

SMITH

Come back! Come back to the ship!
CHIEF OFFICER WILDE joins him, blowing his silver whistle.
208 FROM BOAT 6 the whistle comes shrilly across the water.
QuartermasterHitchins grips the rudder in fear.

HITCHINS

The suction will pull us right down if we don't keep going.

MOLLY

We got room for lots more. I say we go back.

HITCHINS

No! It's our lives now, not theirs. And I'm in charge of this boat! Nowrow!!
209 CAPTAIN SMITH, at the rail of the boat deck, lowers his megaphoneSlowly

SMITH

The fools.

CUT TO:

210 INT. A-DECK FOYER
As Cal and Lovejoy cross the foyer encounter Benjamin Guggenheim and hisvalet, coth dressed in white tie, tail-coats and top hats.

CAL

Ben, what's the occasion?

GUGGENHEIM

We have dressed in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.

CAL

That's admirable, Ben.

(walking on)

I'll sure and tell your wife... when I get to New York.

CUT TO:

To be continued…